TOUCH CORRECTING KEYPAD

• US 20130044063A1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Taesung
• Application Number:
  US13/213,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20130044063A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments relate to an adaptable touch keypad that adapts a key layout based at least in part upon detected typographical usage patterns of a user. The key layout may include an input region and graphical representation region for each key of the adaptable touch keypad. A processor of an electronic device may monitor for usage patterns of the adaptable touch keypad over time. The processor may modify the key layout (e.g., the input regions and/or the graphical representation regions) based upon the usage patterns.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, on a touch screen of an electronic device, a keypad with a plurality of keys aligned in a key layout, the key layout comprising;

a plurality of input regions, wherein each input region is configured to define touch input boundaries representing a respective one of the plurality of keys; and

a plurality of graphical representation regions, wherein each graphical representation region is configured to provide a graphical representation of a respective one of the plurality of keys;

monitoring, via a processor of the electronic device, a usage pattern of the keypad; and

modifying, via the processor of the electronic device, the key layout based at least in part upon the usage pattern.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the typographical usage comprises monitoring a frequency of key usage.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein monitoring the frequency of key usage comprises monitoring a frequency of usage of a combination of keys.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the key layout comprises increasing a size of one of the plurality of input regions corresponding to one of the plurality of keys with a relatively higher frequency of key usage, increasing a size of one of the plurality of representation regions corresponding to the one of the plurality of keys with the relatively higher frequency of key usage, or increasing the size of one of the plurality of input regions and one of the representation regions corresponding to the one of the plurality of keys with the relatively higher frequency of key usage or decreasing a size of one of the plurality of input regions corresponding to one of the plurality of keys with a relatively lower frequency of key usage, decreasing a size of one of the plurality of representation regions corresponding to the one of the plurality of keys with the relatively lower frequency of key usage, or decreasing the size of one or more of the plurality of representation regions, or both, of keys with a relatively lower key frequency of usage, or decreasing the size of one of the plurality of input regions and one of the representation regions corresponding to the one of the plurality of keys with the relatively lower frequency of key usage.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying a spacing of one or more of the plurality of input regions, one or more of the plurality of representation regions, or both, of one or more keys based at least in part upon the frequency of key usage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the usage pattern of the keypad comprises detecting a typographical error in the usage pattern of the keypad.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the typographical error comprises detecting a manual correction and associating the manual correction with the typographical error.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the typographical error comprises detecting an auto correction by the electronic device and associating the auto correction with the typographical error.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying a size of one or more of the plurality of input regions or one or more of the plurality of representation regions, or both, of the keys based at least in part upon the typographical error.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying a spacing of one or more of the plurality of input regions, one or more of the plurality of representation regions, or both, of one or more of the keys based at least in part upon the typographical error.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying a size, a spacing, a shape, or a combination thereof, of one or more of the plurality of input regions, one or more of the plurality of graphical representation regions, or both, of one or more of the plurality of keys.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying one or more of the plurality of input regions of one or more of the plurality of keys, but not any of the plurality of graphical representation regions of any of the plurality of keys.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying one or more of the plurality of input regions of one or more of the plurality of keys and modifying one or more of the plurality of graphical representation regions associated with the modified input regions.

14. A system comprising:

a touch screen display, configured to receive a touch input and provide a graphical image;

a memory, configured to store touch input statistics of the touch screen display; and

a processor configured to execute instructions to;

present a graphical user interface on the touch screen display, the graphical user interface comprising a keypad with a plurality of keys aligned in a key layout, the key layout comprising;

a plurality of input regions, each input region corresponding to one of the plurality of keys, the input regions configured to define touch input boundaries for each of the plurality of keys; and

a plurality of graphical representation regions, each graphical representation region corresponding to one of the plurality of keys, the graphical representation regions configured to provide a graphical representation of each of the plurality of keys;

store typographical usage statistics of the keypad in the memory;

access the typographical usage statistics of the keypad from the memory;

analyze the typographical usage statistics of the keypad; and

modify at least a portion of the key layout based at least in part on the typographical usage statistics.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to analyze the typographical usage statistics by detecting typographical errors in the typographical usage.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to modify the at least portion of the key layout by modifying a size or spacing, or both, of the input region, the representation region, or both, of one or more of the plurality of keys gradually until the typographical errors are no longer detected.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to modify the at least portion of the key layout by modifying the height of the input regions, the representation regions, or both, for an entire row of keys.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the keypad is configured to be switched to an international keypad upon a user selection of an international keypad selector and an additional set of typographical usage statistics is stored when the keypad is selectively switched to the international keypad.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein when the touch screen display is turned 90 degrees, the keypad is aligned in a second key layout and a second set of typographical usage statistics is stored, accessed, and analyzed for the keypad .

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to selectively purge the stored typographical statistics upon a user request.

21. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium comprising executable code, the code comprising:

instructions to analyze a typographical usage of a touch screen keypad having a plurality of keys, and

instructions to modify a key layout of the touch screen keypad based at least in part upon the analyzed typographical usage;

wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying at an input region, a representation, or both, for one or more of the plurality of keys, the input region defining touch input boundaries for each of the plurality of keys and the representation region providing a graphical representation of each of the plurality of keys.

22. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the code comprises:

instructions to present a user-selectable option to disable modification of the layout; and

instructions to disable the modification of the key layout based at least in part upon a user selection of the option.

23. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the analyzed typographical usage comprises a selection of an unintended key in combination with the selection of an intended key.

24. The non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein modifying the key layout comprises modifying a shape of the input region, the graphical representation region, or both, of the intended key to cover an area where the unintended key was selected.